LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE & FISHERIES OFFICE OF FISHERIES INLAND FISHERIES SECTION PART VI –C (ARCHIVES) WATERBODY MANAGEMENT PLAN SERIES ANACOCO LAKE AQUATIC VEGETATION TYPE MAPS AND NARRATIVES ANACOCO LAKE 1980 NOTES: Moderate infestation in two areas of Coontail and Cabomba Light infestation of Bladderwort Marginal infestation of Bidens and Primrose ANACOCO LAKE 1981 NOTES: Light infestation of Bladderwort, Coontail, and Chara Marginal fringe of Bidens and Primrose greatly reduced from 1980 ANACOCO LAKE 1982 At the time of assessment Anacoco Lake was two (2) inches below pool stage. The color of the water was clear. There was some plankton bloom noted. The marginal plants noted were Cephalanthus (buttonbush), Ludwigia (Primrose), and Hydrolea. The emersed plants noted were Eleocharis and Hydrochloa (water grass). The submersed plants noted were Utricularia (gibba), Chara, and Potamogeton. Anacoco Lake has a high infestation of submersed plants almost all the way around the lake. The infestation is very light and no plants are topped out. The emersed plants were not an infestation, they were just noted. The marginal plants are more of a problem than any other type plant. There is a buttonbush infestation in the upper end and on the west side of the lake. The infestation of buttonbush ranges from moderate to severe in some areas. The primrose infestations range from moderate to severe with the severest infestation being in the upper end. All the public landings were checked for Hydrilla, but nothing was found. ANACOCO LAKE 1983 At the time of assessment Anacoco Lake was (8) eight inches above pool stage. The color of the water was good. The visibility of the water was good except in the extreme upper end where recent rains have3 caused the incoming water to by murky. During this past winter Anacoco Lakes water level went (7) seven feet above pool stage. All infestations of submersed plants were light to very light. Eleocharis and Filamentous algae were the primary plants. Some spots of Utricularia were present in the upper end, but they were not significant. Potamogeton and Hydrochloa were also noted in small amounts. No floating plants were noted at all. The marginal plants noted were Cephalanthus, Hydrolea, Ludwigia, Polygonum and Saururus. Button bush is still a problem on the upper end of Anacoco Lake, but there does not seem to be any increase in the amount of plants from last year. Water primrose has not increased enough to be a nuisance. In summary, Anacoco Lake, as far as submersed aquatic plants is in good condition. There has been no significant increase in submersed or marginal plants since last year. ANACOCO LAKE 1984 At the time of assessment Anacoco Lake was at pool stage. The color of the water was fairly clear to murky. The lake had a fair plankton bloom. The submersed aquatic plant infestations were light. The light infestations were comprised of Potamogeton, Najas, Hydrochloa, Chara and filamentous algae. The marginal plants noted were Cephalanthus, Hydrolea, Panicum, Scirpus, Polygonium, Ludwigia and Alternanthera. In summary Anacoco lake is in very good condition. The lake has no submersed aquatic plant problem. The button bush problem in Anacoco Lake has not gotten any better, although there seems to be no increase since last year. All other marginal plants are in tolerable amounts. ANACOCO LAKE 1988 At the time of assessment Anacoco Lake was 8 inches below pool stage. The water color was fair. Most areas of the lake had very clear water with no notice of plankton bloom. The emersed aquatic plant noted was primarily primrose. In summary Anacoco Lake is in good condition. There has been no significant increase in plants this growing season. Button willow is still a problem in the upper end of the lake, but there has been no increase. ANACOCO LAKE 1989 Anacoco Lake, Vernon Parish, was assessed in September, 1989. The water level was five inches (5”) above pool stages. Recent local rains caused the rise in water and the turbidity to increase. The Secchi disc reading was thirty eight (38”) inches in the lower end and twenty five (25”) inches in the upper end. The dominant submersed aquatic plant in the upper half of Anacoco Lake was Utricularia. The secondary aquatic plants noted were Ceratophyllum demersum and southern naiad (Najas). Also noted were Chara in one area. All infestations were very light in all areas. The dominant submersed aquatic plant in the lower half of Anacoco Lake was Southern Naiad (Najas). Some small fragments of Utricularia were also noted in one or two coves. The buttonbush (Cephalanthus) in Anacoco Lake’s upper end has not increased to any noticeable extent. Submersed aquatic plants have not increased since last growing season. Early summer rains may have had some effect on submersed plants because of higher water levels. ANACOCO LAKE 1991 At the time of assessment Anacoco Lake was at pool stage. Water conditions were fair. The turbidity was moderate and the plankton bloom was fair. The Secchi disc reading was 28 inches. The submersed aquatic plants noted were Ceratophyllum demersum, Utricularia inflata, Potamogeton spp., and Najas guadalupensis. The emergent plants noted were Brasenia spp., Nymphaea spp., Ludwigia spp. and Alternanthera spp. In summary Anacoco Lake has mainly light infestation of Utricularia spp. and Najas spp., one area of moderate infestation in the upper end was composed of Utricularia. ANACOCO LAKE 1992 Anacoco Lake was surveyed for aquatic plants in June, 1992. At the time of assessment Anacoco Lake was at pool stage. The water color ranged from clear in upper end to turbid in the lower portion. The primary aquatic plant noted was Utricularia. The secondary plant noted was Potamogeton, coontail, Cabomba and Southern Naiad. Most infestations of aquatic plants in Anacoco Lake was confined to the upper end and was light and growing in depths out to 5’ feet in some areas. ANACOCO LAKE 1993 Anacoco Lake was surveyed for aquatic plants in the spring of 1993. At the time of assessment Anacoco Lake was at pool stage. The water color was turbid. The Secchi disc reading was 3’ feet. The primary aquatic plant noted was Utricularia. The secondary plants were Southern naiad and Potamogeton, Cabomba and coontail was also noted in the upper end. Most infestations were light and growing out to 5’ feet in some areas. Marginal plants noted were Brasenia, primrose and alligatorweed. ANACOCO LAKE 1994 At the time of assessment Anacoco Lake was 4” above pool stage. The water color was very turbid and yellow in color. The Secchi disc reading was 18 inches in the middle of the lake. The submersed aquatic plants noted were Cabomba, Utricularia, Southern naiad and Potamogeton. The submersed aquatic plants in Anacoco Lake were light in all areas. Most infestations were composed of southern naiad and Potamogeton. A fragment of Cabomba was noted also some Utricularia was noted in the extreme upper end. ANACOCO LAKE 1995 At the time of assessment Anacoco Lake was at pool stage. The water color was milky and very turbid. Secchi disc reading was 15” inches. Under the conditions the only submersed aquatic plant noted was Utricularia (Gibbs). The emersed aquatic plants noted were Saurus, Sagittaria, smart weed and Primrose. NO MAP ANACOCO LAKE 1998 Melvin Bagwell At the time of assessment, Anacoco Lake was at pool stage. The water color was very turbid. The Secchi disk reading was 12 inches in the upper end and 38 inches in the lower end. The aquatic plants surveyed were bladderwort, pondweed, Chara, and filamentous algae. The emersed plants surveyed were Bacopa, smartweed, bulrush, and alligatorweed. The distribution of aquatic plants was light to very light in all areas. The total infested area was an estimated 10%. ANACOCO LAKE Aquatic Weed Assessment September 30, 1999 Anacoco Lake is currently under an extended drawdown for fisheries management purposes. Water control gates were opened February 1, 1999. The lake bed renovation plan called for a 16 foot drawdown along with seeding and fertilization of the lake bottom. Boat docks, launch sites, and duck blinds were refurbished during low water conditions. Also, boat lanes were cleared to improve boating access. Water control gates were closed August 17, 1999. NO MAP ANACOCO LAKE AQUATIC PLANT SURVEY October 4, 2000 Anacoco Lake was surveyed October 4, 2000 to determine aquatic plant infestation levels. The water was clear. A very light algae bloom was present. Submerged vegetation was sampled using a 6-point, reverse tine “drag”. The LDWF and Vernon Parish Police Jury dewatered Anacoco Lake from April 1999 until April 2000 for lakebed renovation purposes. The renovation project objective was fishery enhancement. This extended drawdown (approximately 12 months) controlled aquatic plant growth on the lake. Because of the limited time the lake had been flooded (7 months), no significant infestations of aquatic weeds had occurred by the time of this survey. However, aquatic plant growth was present and consisted mostly of Potamogeton spp., Najas spp., Hydrochloa spp., and Nymphaea odorata. These plants were found in several locations of the lake where water was less than 18 inches deep. The infestations were very minor and only worthy of mention at this point in time. We observed no floating aquatic plants. Marginal aquatic plants such as Ludwigia spp., Polygonum spp., and Alternanthera philoxeroides, were very rare. Salix nigra (willow) was beginning to establish itself in the lakebed during drawdown. When the lake returned to pool stage, some of this willow growth was not completely inundated. This willow growth may require herbicide treatment if it continues to grow under partially flooded conditions. In summary, aquatic plants were present on Anacoco Lake during this survey, but species variety and coverage were very limited.